22 Delaware Code §702 requires Delaware municipal governments to develop and regularly update land use plans. Smaller cities and towns (those with a population under 2,000) are required to develop a municipal development strategy. Larger cities and towns are required to develop more detailed Comprehensive Land Use Plans.
OSPC’s circuit-rider planners are available to help municipal governments through the planning process as is the University of Delaware’s Institute for Public Administration. There are also private-sector planning and consulting firms available to help develop Comprehensive Plans.
All local governments in Delaware (both county and municipal) are required to prepare and adopt comprehensive plans. These plans are reviewed by State Agencies through the Preliminary Land Use Service (PLUS) and certified by the Governor.
This database contains links to the final certified comprehensive plans from Delaware’s 57 municipalities and three counties. Also included are links to plan amendments and supporting documents related to each plan. Please note that the comprehensive plans and plan amendments are added to this database once they are adopted by the local government and certified by the Governor. Information about comprehensive plans and plan amendments that are in the process of being reviewed through PLUS, but not yet adopted, can be accessed through the PLUS Operations Dashboard.
While these documents are final versions on file with the Office of State Planning Coordination, it is always advisable to contact each municipality directly to obtain the official version of the local government’s comprehensive plan.
